Two Parent Household
He read the news. It didn't take long for him to jump to conclusions. "SOUNDWAVE!" Barricade's voice booms down the hallways as if it could rattle the walls in anger for him. His optics are bright and his teeth are clenched. He muscles his way into the repair bays, shoving aside techs, patients and anyone who has the misfortune to be here roughly out of his way. He's causing a scene as he storms over to find Soundwave. His mind is blast furnace of grief and outrage, and he's not thinking clearly - he's consumed with Shiftlock's death and he wants to find someone to punish for taking her away from him. He knows that Soundwave works for Ratbat. That means, of course, that Soundwave is to blame for everything. Soundwave doesn't need to hear the voice. He senses the anger long before that. It cuts like the hot edge of a laser across his mind. The outlier looks up from where he is working on a medbay table. Various tools lie strewn about as he makes the finishing touches on some small energon cubes - the sort that his cassettes can drink from. He's got two new charges now, after all, and has been busy making sure that their adjustment into their new life will be as easy as possible. Ratbat remains unactivated- that will come in time. Shiftlock has been activated, and the fiesty bundle of rage almost matches the mech looking for Soundwave now. Rage is not a new emotion to Soundwave, though it still requires some self-control so that the telepath isn't unduly affected by its power. Any internal faltering is not evident outside, though, as he looks impassively on as Barricade comes crashing his way. His calmness is a stark contrast to the fury. "Barricade." The police enforcer gets right up in Soundwave's personal space. He doesn't want to back off or mind his manners. "YOU DID THIS! SHE'S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!" More timid mechs and femmes are clearing out, backing off. The bay is going to be empty in moments. No one wants to get in Barricade's way when he's in THIS kind of mood. His mind is incoherent with desperate denial. He wants someone to blame, someone to hurt, and he's found the only target that makes sense. Soundwave's look must be maddeningly calm to one so outraged. His quiet demeanor never appears to falter, despite the mech screaming in his face. His red visor simply continues to stare up at Barricade for a moment- then he turns his head and places the tool in his hand down on the table. "Inquiry: Why do you think I had anything to do with it?" It is infuriating, and at the same time, that sort of refusal to run blunts Barricade's predator-chase-prey mindset. If Soundwave had panicked or responded in anything other than perfectly controlled calm, the enraged enforcer would have blindly tried to tear him to shreds. The old dog is growling, but he can still be backed down by someone with a cooler head. "You worked for him!" Cade hisses lowly. "You both worked for him and he was tryin' to kill her. -You weren't here- around the time the reports hit the field. Ratbat treated all his employees like slime. You had -opportunity-, you had -motive-, and you ain't got an alibi!" (And you had orders,) the cop groans inside. (She was kill on sight. You had orders because 'a -me-!) Soundwave uses Barricade's angry broil of accusations as time to neaten a few of the tools on his table. Then that red visor comes up to face the other carrier once more. And yes, Barricade's inner dialog is the logical path to follow. Barricade is the one who placed a kill-on-sight order on Shiftlock. He goes ahead and says so, to bring that out of the realm of thoughts and into an attempt at logical discussion- though it remains to be seen if Barricade is capable of that right now. "Even if I was the one responsible, I would simply be following your orders. Is it wrong to follow your orders? She was a threat to the Decepticon cause." "She was never a threat!" Barricade howls, boiling over with emotion. "Dammit mech you were there, you were there when Hook was torturing her! You knew what was in her mind! Did that seem like a -threat- to you!?" Soundwave feels that emotion crashing into him like a tidal wave. Many cycles ago it would have drowned him, too. But he has learned some self-control, some life-saving techniques, and he stays afloat despite the turmoil crashing against his defenses. "I attempted to stop the torture. I was overruled." He turns to pick up a screwdriver, and other hand clutching the cube, gets back to work. "Orders are orders, after all. Regardless, she is gone. You may rescind the kill on sight order, it is no longer needed. Or I can do it for you, if you would like." Barricade reaches over to try to grab Soundwave's shoulder and pull him over to force the other mech to face him. "DID YOU KILL HER?!" he roars. He isn't going to take no for an answer, his self-loathing repackaged and shot back at the object of his suspicions. Soundwave finds himself grabbed and facing a fury that won't let up until he finds some sort of release: whether it is a fight, a breakdown, or any number of scenarios in between. The outlier's calm deamanor falters just slightly as his visor flashes a little bit brighter, looking up at Barricade. Another long silence and then: "No." His hand reaches over to pull Barricade's off him. The monotone has the slightest trace of tension to it now. Barricade commited the worst crime a carrier can in Soundwave's mind, and looks like now is the time to say it. "Beyond that, what does it matter? She was under your care, your protection and YOU cast her out, Barricade. You are the one who placed a kill on sight order on Shiftlock and sealed her destiny. You and I see things quite differently that way. As a carrier, you should know better. When someone under our care falters- when they make their worst mistakes: That is when they need you the *most*. And you CAST HER OUT and left her to wander the streets, rudderless. Why do I owe you any explainations at all?" The fuel in Barricade's lines turn to ice, his tanks skreeling shut. If he were organic, his stomach would be in twisted knots. There is an unspoken understand among Carriers, that you protect those you carry, and to violate such a directive is the unforgiveable among them. It wasn't what Barricade intended, and like a bucket of icewater thrust into his face, he feels the immediate need to absolve himself of this sin. "You don't understand!" he protests vehemently. "I was trying to protect her in the only way I knew how! She was too innocent, too -good- for what we have t' become! We have to be monsters to win this war an' I didn't want her spark drug down into the muck with me! I -- " His grip on Soundwave falters. "-- Dammit 'wave I wanted to preserve her innocence! She'd never agree t' kill like the rest of 'em in the pits and it was only a matter of time -- Clench had her on the rosters for a death match!" His clawed hand drags uselessly, harmlessly, down Soundwave's chest, as the enforcer struggles to keep from dropping to his knees. He leans heavy against the worktable, arms locked in place, holding him up. "... I didn't wanna send her away," he groans. "I had t' scare her away. Make sure she was too afraid t' come back... but I had t' make sure she'd learn to fight, to protect herself, if I wasn't there t' do it. I thought... I left her in fraggin' -Hot Rod's- hands." He balls his right hand into a fist and *SLAMS* it down onto the table. "... It killed me, 'Wave," he moans in despair. "I believed in her. I believed she could learn t' stand up, be strong, t' be somethin' more, even if I couldn't be there t' see it.... and now she's dead. I tried t' honor her choices. Honor her spark. An' now it's too late." Bracing against the other mech's clawing and wilting, Soundwave's hard stare masks the fact that now it is Barricade's anguish that he must mentally shield himself against. The carrier looks on in judgement- and perhaps a trace of sympathy. He can feel the mech's sorrow, and is not completely unmoved by it. Still- he cannot imagine doing what Barricade did. It is not something he can simply forgive. However, while he can use the opportunity to sit in judgement and punish the other carrier for his sins, Soundwave is not quite that petty. Moreover: he likes to make use of the resources at hand, just ask Ratbat sometime. Keeping Shiftlock a secret will not be easy, and Soundwave knows the other mech will be watching this new femme cassette like a hawk. Perhaps there is another way to resolve this. Soundwave straightens up, standing to fully face Barricade now. Barricade- who also made a terrible mistake, possibly. "Sometimes things are too late. And sometimes... there are other options." He considers the mech, that hard stare gazing into his very spark it seems. Barricade might find a chance at redemption here, though he's going to have to pay a bit for his crimes first. "I might.... have other options for you. But I have demands to go with them. One: You will owe me a favor. Two: I want to know who you are. EVERYTHING." His hand comes up and flexes. "All it takes is a touch. *If* I see what I want to see, then we can proceed from there. And only *if* . Three: if we DO proceed, everything I tell you then remains secret." Soundwave is going to quickly rise among the Decepticon ranks to the most loyal of Megatron's servants, simply because the outlier knows exactly when to strike, and how to take control of others. The normally relentless and implacable Barricade is crushed and emotionally vulnerable. He'll jump at the thinnest of hope and cling to it without a second thought. Soundwave probably already knew that when he spoke. Barricade -snaps- his attention to the other carrier, transfixed, as if Primus himself were speaking. "... What do you mean? What--" Could it be that...? He stands up and grabs at the other mech. "Tell me! I swear to Primus, I'll do whatever you want!" Indeed he did know. Soundwave /is/ a compassionate mech. His talk of desiring equality and a better future is not just hot air- it is a way of life; a guiding hand. However, he is also quite intelligent and deeply pragmatic when it comes to "resources". Perhaps something of Ratbat rubbed off on him after all- and he is not above taking advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself. The desperation of Barricade only seems to further cool and calm Soundwave's core. Yes, he is in a very comfortable spot indeed. Slowly moving his arms in an arc to brush Barricade's grabby hands away from him, he replies, "Very well." The outlier strides over to a nearby seat and gestures towards it, indicating that Barricade should sit down. "Let us begin then. Sit." Now it's Barricade's turn to be the wad of rookie dough in the hands of a superior officer. He does exactly as he's told, eyes never leaving Soundwave as he sits in that chair. He's nervous and mentally fighting for air, frantic over the slimmest of hopes that Wave is every so slowly, torturously dangling in front of him. It is an interesting sensation to know that you hold someone so completely and thoroughly in the palm of your hands. Everything about Barricade is there for the taking and it gives Soundwave an almost heady sense of power. The other carrier sits down and the outlier gets to work. His broad hands come to grip either side of Barricade's head, much as he did to the Autobot spies not long ago. It is just Soundwave and Barricade- and then it is the two together as Soundwave reaches deep inside Barricade's mind. His hold is tight and focused and he plunges into the depths of the other mech's soul. His search is for what truly motivates the other mech. Can he be trusted with Shiftlock again, or would he just cast her aside once more? If such a thing as as nobility and honor could be found among the Decepticons, Barricade might just be one of the few to truly aim for it. Serve and Protect is the core of his being, and always has been. If there could be any deep and abiding flaw in Barricade, it would be his tendency towards zealotry. His reputation for brutality came from his bitterness and anger towards those who held rank and power and were allowed to exploit those they should have been protected. He could do nothing to stop it. Functionism and caste had muzzled the Hound. A need for equality, for a world in which he, as an Enforcer, could shield the innocent lambs of society instead of being bound while predators in office tore them to pieces, is what he desires. He understands that he must go from hound to wolf and become infinitely savage to take down the corruption in high places, but he has no wish to -stay- such a monster. He has no wish to burn the world down. He dreams of enjoying a world of order and peace, where, instead of abusing recruits to harden them into merciless killers, he is sheltering new sparks and rearing them into happy, productive lives of their own choosing. So it was that his dreams came a little too soon in finding Shiftlock as she was, and he could not deny the calling of his own spark. Reality crushed in around him. He was willing to wear evil and face justice - even death - for what he felt he must do, but he could not ask that innocent little femme to march into hell with him. His spark broke the day he drove her out. The would-be doting parent was forced to abandon his child on the doorstep of someone else, praying that she would grow up safe in the life he knew he could not give her. He had to hide his feelings behind snarling disdain, because to expose himself when Hook was torturing her would be to end them both. He wanted to bash Hook's head in until his brain module was so much jellied mess on his claws and to liberate her from her captivity, but loyalty, duty, and fear for her safety prevented it. Soundwave is not afraid to take a darker path himself, not if the end result is one of light and freedom and equality for all. For those who deserve it, at least: true sociopaths like the Senator he worked for are except from this rule. Sometimes one must punish or kill- or simply make use of a resource. His hard life on the streets and time spent with Ratbat taught him so. Soundwave courses through Barricade's mind like the pulse of energy through a circuit, moving in a thread from thought to memory to motivation. It is a world both familiar and strange: especially as a fellow carrier. They share many similarities, many of the same commitments and the same sense of sheltering those in ndeed. Protecting the most downtrodden from the ravages of a brutal world. In the end, Soundwave would still not choose to do what Barricade had done. But he knows the mech's spark, and he knows he can work with it. It is more valuable to him as an ally than an enemy. He puts on the brakes, pulling back with the mental squelch of a suction cup releasing its hold. His hands remain placed firmly on the sides of Barticade's head as he fully reclaims his outer senses once more. "Your actions: conflicted. Your spark..." There's a pause. "...passes the test." His hands come down, though he remains standing there behind Barricade. "Shiftlock: is not dead." It takes Barricade a full five minutes before he can formulate a response. "... what?" Taking his time to respond, Soundwave walks back over to the table where he was constructing the cassette-sized energon cubes and carefully packs them up. He could use a breather himself. He is also scanning the surrounding location to ensure that they are still alone. No spying audials or optics are detected and the outlier then turns to face Barricade once more. "Our time to act is fast approaching. With the Apex Armor in play, the Autobots and Senate are rapidly moving to squash us once and for all. With this in mind, I am moving to acquire resources for the conflict ahead." He holds up a tiny cube, gazing at the trancslucent purple. "Senator Ratbat is a vile mech. But he is more than that- he also has a keen mind for acquisition of resources. One that could benefit us in the days ahead. It almost seemed a shame to have to kill him with the other Senators. So... I made another plan." The cube comes down and he returns to gazing at Cade. "I planned an aqcuisition of my own: his mind. A cassette body to house his spark, keeping him alive but under control. I planned to use it soon, but not as soon as I did." "I walked into his office at Darkmount to find him torturing Shiftlock. The things he had planned for her..." There's a pause. "Unspeakable. The end result was going to be her death- right there in front of me, Ratbat did not care. Shiftlock did not deserve what he had planned for her- so I... changed my plans and took him out right then and there. Offlined him- but did not kill him." The thought of Shiftlock being tortured just re-ignites that vitriol in Barricade, and his expression goes from holding on to the thinnest hope back to his usual irascible scowl. A thought flickers across his mind to find Ratbat and kill him while he's weak, but the notion that it might cost him Shiftlock a second time brings that violence swiftly to heel. Already Soundwave is in control. "... You took her spark, didn't you? Left her body behind, but took her spark." He's no Perceptor but he can figure things out reasonably well. "... You gonna turn her into... into a data slug?" Soundwave's head tilts down just a bit as his hand reaches up to touch his chest. "She was an Autobot who witnessed me essentially murder the Senator I worked for. She was a witness to my crime. A crime I commited at that particular moment to save her life. She was... /is/ also a lost spark in need of guidance. She has no one. I could see it in her mind. There was no one for her to turn to, and she was on a path of self-destruction." His gaze comes up, hand still on chest. "Yes. She is here, now, resting." And that is the difference between the two mechs. Cade's anger cools back off, and he looks saddened - not elated - by Soundwave's actions. "She's gonna hate you, Soundwave. I offered her that choice once, to hide with me, hide -in- me. You shouldda seen her face. She acted like I'd just tazed her - said she'd rather die than live without her frame. I respected that. I coulda forced her t' stay, to try to keep her with me, t' override her wishes with my will an' my judgment... but I respected her choice. I gave her the freedom t' say no." Barricade looks at Soundwave's torso as if he is trying to peel it away and get to Shiftlock with his gaze alone. "... What did she say t' you, Wave. Did she want this? Did she ask you t' save her?" Another moment of silence, then Soundwave gazes down to his chest once more. "She demanded that I kill her." His hand clenches slightly. "I had two choices at that time. Kill her, or do this." His red visor comes back up to stare impassively at Barricade. "Affirmative: she may hate me. But she will be alive to do so. Her mind was confused, angry. She both wanted to die and did not want to die. She is lost into shadow and will not emerge from it without a guiding light. A light I can provide." His optic ridges furrow down a little as he speaks, "She needs a family, Barricade. She needs people to guide her and teach her until she is capable of making informed choices of her own. I have no intention of being her captor. But sometimes what a wayward, immature spark most needs is someone to care enough to tell them: no." Barricade gets what Soundwave is saying. It's simply a matter of "parental" philosophy. "I just didn't wanna be one more authority figure doing whatever they wanted t' her body an' mind." "... She may think you're that, 'Wave. You gonna have time t' watch her like a Hawk when we're gettin' ready t' go to war? 'Cause she bolts. She'll bolt as fast as she can whenever she gets a wild urge an' then she's right there in trouble, gettin' her ports plugged by scum like Whirl without a thought t' the consequences." Soundwave nods. "She is in my care now, and I told her she will not be alone anymore. For now, I intend to keep watch to ensure her safety. If I am not around, Ravage, Buzzsaw or Laserbeak will keep an optic on her for me. I intend to give her time and guidance. Show her a path towards repair. Once I know she is of sound mind- and I *will* know- then the choices are hers. She may do what she wants then." The outlier brings his hands together at this point. "Also... I have additional help, do I not?" He looks questioningly at Barricade. "Would you like to have a second chance with her?" "You saw in my head, 'Wave. I wanted her as my own." 'Cade's conflicted. "... It's mutually assured destruction for us now, you realize that, right? 'Cause you just saved an Autobot. You violated a KOS order. All I gotta do is go tell Megatron, or Lugnut, or Blackout - an' it don't matter how many minds you read. You'd be slagged faster'n I could transform." He looks at Soundwave's chest. "But then so would she, and I'd lose her all over again. An' Primus help me I can't do that t' her. I dunno if it was right t' save her against her own wishes, violate her free will like that... but what's done is done." "... She safe t' hold?" So Barricade informs the telepath. "Affirmative. I also already know that you won't, for that very reason." He looks down, placing a hand on the latch on top of his chest and releases it. The compartment opens and he reaches in with practiced ease, lifting out a small black and red cassette with gentle care. Holding it in his large blue hands, he quietly comments, "We will all make due. This is your chance at redemption, Barricade: handle with care." With that, he holds the small form out for Barricade. Barricade holds said tape as if it were made of micron-thin crystal. Handle with care? Handle like a brand new helpless spark. ".... Kid, you've been through a lot. You're gonna hate me when you come to, if you remember me. But... maybe I can tell you the truth. Maybe I don't have to hide it anymore." He pulls the tape in closer to his chest like a newborn. The care is apparent and the carrier side of Soundwave causes the hard-edged pragmatism to relent for just a moment as he observes a tender (of sorts) reunion. He's playing a dangerous game here, true, but now Barricade is just as "guilty" as he is- and perhaps even more emotionally entangled. Which IS something that Soundwave can continue to use to his advantage. But more than that- as a carrier, he understands the bond, and he would like to see Barricade and Shiftlock reach some kind of understanding as well. There are invisible wounds inside both- wounds that only the other may most easily repair. It is a chance for healing for both, and as a family mech, Soundwave will give them that chance. "You shouldn't hide it anymore. Let her know the truth. Let her know she is not alone- coming from you that might truly mean something." There's a pause. "You /will/ rescind the kill order, correct?" Barricade nods affirmatively. "Yeah," he adds. "I will. I mean, she's dead right? Name goes off the list." He smirks at Soundwave knowingly. Soundwave nods back, a secret pact made of headshakes. "Correct." He looks at the tape. "She has awoken once, met Rumble. He will be helping me as well. She will choose a new name for now, and we shall keep her true identity a secret. She can function as one of my cassettes- and I encourage you and your cassettes to guide and watch over her. Together, as carriers, we will ensure that she will get a new chance at life. To be what she can be." "... Do it right this time," Barricade reitterates. "All right, y' gotta deal, 'Wave." He pauses. "... Y'know Shift interfaced with Rumble, right?" Just in case Soundwave wasn't aware. "So uh... what do we do if she.. y'know. Gets the urge?" Soundwave doesn't often show a lot of expression, but an optic ridge does lift up slightly at that. "....Yes, I picked up as much when she awoke and saw him." His hand comes to scratch lightly at his chin. "I will have a talk with Rumble. Explain to him that she needs a little time to center and repair, and not jump right back into old habits. However, the natural affection they seemed to share is also a benefit. I believe Rumble will do the right thing." And if *not*.... sigh, he'll deal with that when he gets there. At least Rumble does seem to be in genuine awe and maybe even a bit of fear of Soundwave, and that's not ALL bad. Just stern enough that the mech might at least pay attention. And the feelings Soundwave picked up on were genuine ones- knowing Rumble, he would not /intentionally/ harm Shiftlock. Barricade curls himself around the tape -- almost -- is he hugging it? Yes he is. It doesn't take telepathy to know that Cade is savoring this moment, one he thought he'd never have a chance at again. It's not every day someone brings your prodigal child home... and back from the dead. "I owe you mech. I dunno how I'm ever gonna repay you, but I owe you. We gotta do this right." He looks back up at the other carrier. "... do we... raise her... ?" Decepticon. He thinks it, but doesn't say it. Soundwave nods, allowing Barricade his moment. "As a carrier, I know the bond that holds you to her. We both know the importance of family, and I know you will help me protect and be part of this one." He considers the question. "I intend to teach her enough to be able to fit in with the Decepticons. Enough to pose as one. Whether it takes permentantly, or she chooses a different path ultimately will be up to her. But she must stay under the radar for now and appear as one of us. She was once, for now she will be again." He reaches his hand out once more. "I should get her back in before she awakes. She is still calibrating into the new body." Cade doesn't want to let go. But he knows that yes, Soundwave is right. He offers the tape back to Soundwave. "Yeah, when you think she's ready, lemme know. I can... I can pass as her trainer. We'll see how it goes. If she knows anything." Taking the tape, Soundwave gently places her back inside the safety and warmth of his chest, then closes the hatch. He gathers up the tools then turns to look at Cade once more. "Affirmative. Her memory comes back in snatches right now, I do not know how much and when it will come back fully. In the meantime, she will not be alone again." His hand reaches to his chest, touching it gently- tenderly- then fallling away to finish putting away the tools and gather up the new, small cubes. ---- Bonus Silliness! O-Decepticon Barricade rushes Soundwave to medical. O-Decepticon Barricade says, "HE'S GONNA HAVE A BABY QUICK, SOMEONE BOIL SOME WATER" O-Decepticon Ruiner runs around flailing. "I don't know nothin' about birthin' no babies!" O-Decepticon Swift Blade slaps Ruiner. O-Decepticon Swift Blade boils water. O-Decepticon Soundwave breathes heavily, times contractions. Has fit. I HATE YOUUUUUUUU Have I mentioned THIS? (Wait, who's the dad?) O-Decepticon Barricade says, "Just do your breathing Wave!!!" O-Decepticon Barricade reaches for the tape deck!!! O-Decepticon Barricade says, "I CAN SEE THE MAGNETIC STRIP" O-Decepticon Barricade says, "YOU'RE ALMOST THERE" O-Decepticon Spectrum says, "What in Primus did I log back into?" O-Decepticon Spectrum says, "Are we getting a new minicon?" O-Decepticon Soundwave ha-whew-ha-whew-haaa-whewwww *out pops a tape* O-Decepticon Soundwave says, "It's a new MIXX!" O-Decepticon Barricade says, "THERE'S ANOTHER" O-Decepticon Soundwave says, "OMG WUT I got TWINS?" O-Decepticon Barricade says, "KEEP PRESSING YOUR EJECT BUTTON" O-Decepticon Soundwave presses furiously, hits rewind accidentally, 2nd tape starts reversing O-Decepticon Barricade says, "I have to make a medical intervention!!" O-Decepticon Barricade presses stop, then eject O-Decepticon Noise pops out O-Decepticon Soundwave gasps O-Decepticon Barricade wraps up Ratbat and Noise, hands them to Soundwave O-Decepticon Soundwave pants a little.... did ... did it work? Can I see it? O-Decepticon Barricade says, "They're beautiful. ;_;" O-Decepticon Soundwave sobs O-Decepticon Soundwave gathers up in arms O-Decepticon Onslaught says, "Dammit. Now I want to be a carrier." O-Decepticon Onslaught gets upgrades. O-Decepticon Soundwave plays soft lullaby music, cradles and rocks the new mixes O-Decepticon Barricade dabs Soundwave's head O-Decepticon Soundwave glows